


Fly Responsibly

by Toomanyfandoms99



Series: Adventures of Gabriel [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adventure, Aftermath of a Case, Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Car Ride, Drama, Fluff, M/M, Post-Case, Truck Ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 09:14:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21966991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toomanyfandoms99/pseuds/Toomanyfandoms99
Summary: “How long was I out?”  Gabriel asked quietly.“Four hours,” Sam said, turning a corner to pass by yet another small town.“Wow,” Gabriel said, “sorry.”“It’s okay,” Sam said softly.  “You need sleep, Gabe.  Can’t keep burning the candle on both ends.”
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Series: Adventures of Gabriel [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1525019
Comments: 1
Kudos: 47





	Fly Responsibly

Sam held his foot steady on the gas pedal. Bobby’s old truck still ran like a beauty, even after all these years. The stops on the road were smooth and silent. The brakes had a quick reaction time. It flew down empty back streets as if it were a boat on the ocean. 

Sam knew he had to commend Dean on his gift of mechanics for the spare car. Sam has been using this truck more and more often lately, since Dean would never give up his precious Impala.

There was a little hum that came from the archangel in the passenger’s seat. Sam eased the car to a stop at a familiar light and glanced over at Gabriel.

Gabriel’s eyelashes fluttered, and he hummed a two-tone harmony. Sam couldn’t pick out where he had heard it before.

The navy blue blanket that Sam retrieved from the back seat and placed around Gabriel fell to his lap. It wasn’t every day that Gabriel slept so easily, or even at all. Gabriel only rested at the bunker, so Sam knew that his boyfriend was more exhausted than usual.

The light turned green, and Sam drove on autopilot. Gabriel was stuck in a limbo, wishing he wouldn’t wake up but knew he would soon.

When Sam and Dean found Castiel and Gabriel in Arkansas, they couldn’t believe it. The Winchesters had just arrived there to start working the case. From the police reports, it was definitely a ghoul. And a particularly nasty ghoul at that.

But the Winchesters showed up as soon as the ghoul was discorporated by Gabriel and Castiel. The two angels completed the case before Sam and Dean could even get there to begin their investigation.

At the knowledge that angels could do their jobs quicker than the Winchesters could, both decided to be grateful. They were getting older, and they couldn’t do as many cases as they used to. 

When Dean eyed Castiel after he made the killing blow, angel blade glittering in his hand, his eyes full of danger followed by relief, Sam knew that he would have to take Bobby’s truck home.

So before Dean could jump Castiel’s bones, Sam made sure Castiel used his powers to teleport the truck from the bunker. Dean was probably going to spend the entire night in the closest motel with Castiel having steamy sex.

Dean sure had his vices. Being intimate with Castiel after a hunt was one of them.

Sam didn’t want to waste any time getting home. Gabriel was wearier than normal, his eyes becoming cross-eyed from tiredness. Sam ushered him into Bobby’s truck, no questions asked, and started driving.

Gabriel faded into unconsciousness before they even crossed Arkansas state lines, and Sam got used to the unusual silence.

A silence that would be broken any time now…

“Mmph,” Gabriel murmured. His eyes were brown, almost black, in the darkness. The telltale glint, though, was always there. 

Gabriel straightened his slump posture in the passenger’s seat. His hair, recently cut short, had stray hairs breaking from their confines. His light skin had a moonlit pattern to it, and Sam thinks, only in times like this, Gabriel lets his angelic nature show.

“How long was I out?” Gabriel asked quietly.

“Four hours,” Sam said, turning a corner to pass by yet another small town.

“Wow,” Gabriel said, “sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sam said softly. “You need sleep, Gabe. Can’t keep burning the candle on both ends.”

Gabriel hummed in begrudging agreement. His bleary eyes settled on Sam as much as he could turn his head. “You boys have gotten slow on the draw, huh?” He teased.

“Guess so,” Sam replied amusedly. “It was good you were there.”

“Cassie and I will be the new saviors. We’ll even get fictional books written about us. It’ll be called…Angels Are Just Better. Deal With It.” Gabriel downright giggled at the prospect.

“I’ll write it for you,” Sam played along. “I’ll carve out some time for it.”

Gabriel’s amused smile lingered. “Thanks for picking me up.”

“It just so happened to work out with our schedules,” Sam said breezily, flying on a short highway.

“And thanks for not making fun of my snoring.”

Sam furrowed his brows. “You don’t snore.”

Gabriel blinked. “I don’t?”

“No…”

Gabriel sighed. “Dammit. Those angelic assholes.”

“You wanna talk about snoring?” Sam snorted. “I slept in the same room as Dean for most of my childhood. That’s some snoring right there.”

“Does he really snore?” Gabriel laughed. “I bet Cassie hates it but won’t say anything. He’s a real gentlemen.”

“Maybe he just flies away or something,” Sam suggested. “It gets annoying after a while.”

Gabriel snorted. “Well it’s nice to know I don’t do that.” He added absently, “and you don’t snore either. In case you were wondering.”

“Good,” Sam said, “I didn’t think so.”

Sam exited the highway and soon crossed another state line. Sam figured they would be in Kansas by daybreak, and the bunker soon after. Then he could finally crash into the exhaustion that he refused to let settle in his bones. 

As Sam was completing the turn, a man fell out of the sky.

The dark blur crashed near the stop sign, and Sam braked quickly enough. Bobby’s truck stopped abruptly, and Gabriel gaped. They were far enough away from whoever fell, but based upon Gabriel’s expression, he knew what was going on.

“Uh,” Sam’s heart was racing, “what just happened?”

Gabriel’s face became infinitely sour, so much so that Sam thought he was looking at a different person altogether. Seeing Gabriel without a smile on his face was jarring.

Gabriel studied Sam’s panicked expression and clenched his jaw. Rather than answering, he clicked open the passenger door.

“Gabe,” Sam asked hollowly, “what are you doing?”

Gabriel unbuckled his seatbelt, the blue blanket being tossed into the back seat. His expression was nearly inscrutable, gaze exuding a harshness uncharacteristic of him. 

With the truck engine still humming in place, Gabriel stepped down from the truck seat, leaving the car door partially open.

The headlights illuminated the unfamiliar man, who struggled to prop himself up. He wasn’t hit, but since he literally crashed from the sky, something must have hurt. 

Sam narrowed his eyes, studying the man. His head was blonde-brown, dyed to deny his true age. He wore all black, and his face was older than his style tried to make him be.

Gabriel approached the man like he knew him well, head tilting down at him. His stature was critical and bored.

“Bal,” Gabriel said, his voice carrying towards the open truck door, “what did I say about drunk flying?”

Sam nearly jolted out of his seat and fell out of the car.

Balthazar. He remembered Balthazar now. 

But he was dead…

And he wasn’t.

Okay. Gabriel had to explain so many things.

Gabriel stuck out an arm, and Balthazar used the offered hand to stand. He was taller and more slender than Sam remembered, as well as older. His vessel must have aged without the angel inside it.

Not that Sam knew how angel stuff worked.

“What if I weren’t in that car?” Gabriel asked, sounding too much like Dean for Sam’s liking. “Something worse could have happened!”

“I know,” Balthazar murmured, head tilted down to show remorse, “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Good,” Gabriel said, whirling around abruptly. “I can’t deal with any more of this today. I need to rest.”

Balthazar was ready to leave, perhaps fly away without crashing this time. 

But then he saw who was in the truck.

“Holy shit,” Balthazar shaded his eyes over the headlights. “Sam Winchester?!”

Gabriel looked between the two, eyes suddenly blown wide. He was caught between two worlds, two worlds that he tried his best to keep separate.

It was no surprise to Sam that it was what Gabriel was doing. He didn’t even blame Gabriel for it. He understood the need to protect others.

Balthazar stepped forward, surpassing Gabriel. He went to Gabriel’s side of the truck, where the passenger door remained open.

“Well,” Balthazar squinted his eyes once he framed the doorway, “I’ll be damned. It is Sam Winchester.” He grinned, a tad sheepish as he said, “still handsome as ever, I see.”

“Don’t,” Gabriel said exasperatedly, pushing past him and sitting on the passenger’s side. “If you’re not gonna go, get in the back.”

Balthazar sent Sam a little wave before sliding into the back seat.

Gabriel said to Sam tiredly, “sorry about him.”

Sam dared to ask Balthazar directly, “how are you alive?”

“Magic,” Balthazar replied curtly.

Sam shrugged, the truck doors slamming. Buckles were clicked into place, and Sam finally put his foot off the brake. He continued driving.

“So Gabe,” Balthazar asked, “why are you traveling alone at night with Sam Winchester?”

“I have other things to deal with, y’know,” Gabriel said pointedly, “like psychotic ghouls.”

“That sounds fun,” Balthazar said honestly. “Why can’t I come too?”

“Someone’s gotta keep an eye on Josh,” Gabriel said. “I see him as a literal flight risk.”

“Still?” Balthazar shrugged. “Well I have Hannah with him.”

“Good. She’s dependable.”

Sam chose to remain silent, his mind processing what was happening. Was Josh referring to Joshua, the guardian of the Garden? He was still alive too? And wasn’t Hannah pursuing Castiel romantically at one point? Did Dean know that Hannah was back?

Scratch that last one. It was best Dean not know about that whole situation. Castiel only told Sam because they were best friends and could depend on one another.

They crossed Kansas state lines after a little while longer, and Balthazar said, “you can drop me off here. I can fly up now.”

Sam eased to a stop before they could enter a border town. Before Balthazar moved to get out, he glanced between Sam and Gabriel.

“Just one more question,” Balthazar asked hesitantly, “are you two fucking?”

Gabriel shot Balthazar the dirtiest look Sam had ever seen him perform. And Gabriel was about as sassy as Castiel when it came to dirty looks.

Balthazar narrowed his eyes. He read something in Gabriel’s gaze. “So you are fucking.”

“Don’t be crude, Balthazar,” Gabriel said sharply.

“Ohhh,” Balthazar smiled, “so you make love.”

Gabriel used his powers to jerk open the truck door nearest to Balthazar. “Fly responsibly.”

Balthazar made a clicking noise with his teeth and tongue. He sent a look to Sam. “Bye now, handsome.”

He stepped out of the truck and disappeared from plain sight.

There was a silence, and Gabriel flicked his hand. The back car door shut again.

Gabriel sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you’re confused.” He huffed bitterly, mad at himself. “I seem to be apologizing a lot lately.”

Sam returned to driving numbly. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

Gabriel took this question as a bad sign and ducked his head, staring at his lap. He kept his gaze averted from Sam’s, his moonlit expression flushed. “I meant to tell you so many times. It’s...Cas and I have been searching for angels. There are...so few of us left. It’s a slow-going process, but we’re...we’re trying to keep Heaven from falling out of the sky.”

Sam turned his head sharply. “What was that last part?”

Gabriel kept his gaze downwards, his attempt at exuding shyness and remorse. His long lashes batted against the hollows of his cheeks, and Sam focused on the road again.

“It’s...it’s bad, Sam,” Gabriel said hollowly. “You’re the only thing keeping me sane right now. You’re the only refuge I get from worrying about...about the fact that my race is dying. So I’m...I’m sorry for not telling you. I really should have sooner.”

As they passed another sign indicating a town up ahead, Sam suddenly braked in the middle of the road.

Gabriel blinked up at what Sam had done, eyes flashing with concern. The road was completely empty, considering it was around three in the morning. No one was coming or going, and Sam held his foot on the brake to steady the truck. 

“Sam,” Gabriel asked, “what-”

Sam jostled the gear into park swiftly. Before Gabriel could comprehend it, Sam had taken Gabriel’s face in his hands. He leaned forward quickly, barely registering Gabriel’s wide eyes before Sam was pushing their lips together.

Gabriel shuddered, hands finding a grip on Sam’s tee, near his stomach. He held fast and pressed himself closer, their heads tilted at odd angles due to their positions. The kiss was messy and uncoordinated, but that wasn’t the point. Gabriel’s lashes fluttered against Sam’s cheeks, his body melting and molding into Sam’s. Gabriel’s exhaustion became ever so clear to Sam, but Gabriel instigated a second kiss after Sam parted to breathe.

Sam exhaled into Gabriel, tasting a lack of food and water on his tongue. Gabriel must not have eaten in a long while. His vessel would need it when they returned home.

Gabriel smelled of spruce and fir trees when Sam regained his senses, nudging away from a kiss that went too deeply. Not that Sam was complaining.

Gabriel’s lashes hung lazily over his eyes, his expression dazed as he leaned back in his seat. He couldn’t seem to find the words, for once.

Sam swallowed moisture thickly and said, “I need you to talk to me next time instead of bottling it all up, okay?”

“Okay,” Gabriel murmured.

“That’s the one and only sympathy kiss you’re ever getting,” Sam said. “Got me?”

Gabriel chuckled giddily. “Yes, sir.”

Sam moved the gear into drive and continued to the bunker.

**Author's Note:**

> The last part of this series will be out in a few days.
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
